


Faith, and trust, and pixie dust

by NightingalesAndHandGrenades (NightingalesAndLions)



Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-12
Updated: 2015-12-12
Packaged: 2018-05-06 05:56:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5405552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightingalesAndLions/pseuds/NightingalesAndHandGrenades
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“If Light Is In Your Heart<br/>You Will Find Your Way Home.”<br/>― Rumi</p><p>They have come home and life is good even if they cannot tell the whole world what they mean to each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Faith, and trust, and pixie dust

The city burned, fire lighting up the night sky. 

It is the last thing he sees before cool hands shake him awake. His body is covered in sweat and it takes him a moment before realizing that the city is not burning and he’s in Boston. 

“Carwood,” the voice is so familiar and Lipton is honestly trying to shake off the last of the nightmare still clinging to his brain, squeezing liquid ice through his veins, making him shiver. 

“You’re safe, Carwood, you’re all right… come back to me,” the voice doesn’t lose its soothing tone but there is a firm edge to it now and Lipton wakes up completely, his sight becoming clear and lungs taking deep breaths to stop his racing heart.

He’s in Boston and he feels Ron’s fingers on his face, pushing damp strands of hair out of his eyes, waiting till the other man is fully awake and responding. Lipton shudders one last time and takes last deep breath leaning in Ron’s touch.

His nightmares are not often visitors but when the weather turns sour outside, they sometimes creep in and push his sleep away until he’s saved by Ron’s calm and confident voice and his soothing fingers. He needs to allow himself a couple of minutes just listening to Ron’s heartbeat – strong and steady under his ear after they have settled down again and Carwood’s head is pillowed on Ron’s chest.

The army has changed him, the army has changed them both. Ron’s nightmares are different. His face changes into an emotionless mask and there is sudden cold stare that makes Carwood think of Bastogne. Being in the military keeps Ron in check but when he’s at home – there are so many different things going on and Carwood doesn’t blame him.  
Tonight Ron is once again his anchor as he has been so many nights. Carwood knows he's lucky. Other guys have harder time adjusting and he thinks his nightmares are influenced not just by the weather but by stress as well.

“Sleep, Carwood,” Ron’s voice is smooth and he feels the kiss pressed to his hair.

They have drifted together after the war. Ron is a career soldier; he cannot simply leave the army since it is the blacksmith, molding and hammering all the hard edges. He's Mars and he knows the strength he has. What started with letters and hesitant phone calls, turned into meetings and eventually they moved in together. Or, rather, Carwood moved to Boston, leaving his mother and their boarding house, starting a life he doesn’t yet know to its fullest. 

Marshall University had been good to him but wouldn’t have allowed Carwood to be close to Ron. Being apart at some point was not an option anymore. So there he is - engineering student, paratrooper, and civilian. Lipton isn't sure if one can be both but Ron expresses his approval on the thought. Being a paratrooper is now an essential part of Carwood.

He wakes up before the sun is even up and feels rested. One glance at the alarm clock on the nightstand tells Carwood that his classes don’t start for a couple of hours but he hears radio playing soft music in the kitchen and Ron is not in bed anymore. It’s their daily routine.

When Carwood has classes and Ron has to work, both of them get up early. Ron makes breakfast because he’s always up first. The smell of coffee doesn’t allow Lipton to stay in bed for much longer and these moments they get to spend together are too precious to waste.

Both of them are well aware of how soon everything can change in just a split second so Carwood doesn’t protest if Ron’s hands sneak around his waist while he’s washing breakfast dishes and hold on for dear life, nose buries in Lipton’s neck, taking slow breaths, seemingly lost. 

Ron doesn’t mind safeguarding Carwood’s sleep in return. They live from day to day, not taking anything for granted.

“Morning,” he greets, smiling at the man in uniform, currently making breakfast.

“Morning,” Ron turns his head and offers a smile, putting both of their plates on the kitchen table. “I hope you got some rest after all”.

“I’m sorry I woke you up,” Carwood murmurs, looking down in his coffee, cheeks burning, not because of shame but because of concern and resentment.

“We’ve had this conversation before, Carwood. There is no need,” and it’s as simple as that.

Ronald Speirs doesn’t need a lot of words. He has always said that everything he thinks and feels can be seen in his actions. This half an hour of domestic bliss always relaxes Lipton and he knows this is where he belongs.

They finish their breakfast in silence and Carwood puts their plates and cups in the sink to wash up later. He casually straightens Ron’s tie, before the other man leaves and allows Speirs to touch his cheek and leans in for a soft kiss.

“Go keep the peace,” he always says and Ron nods, squeezing Carwood’s shoulder.

If Lipton doesn’t have a morning class, he does a bit of housekeeping and sits down with his reading or assignments that need to be done and handed in. Engineering program in Boston University is good and Carwood finds himself enjoying the challenges it offers. It still feels odd to be a student while being quite a bit older than his fellow attendees but Lipton finds that his experience in the army has given him the confidence and the knowledge on top of the experience himself to be confident at presentation and an eager learner when theory turns to practical lessons and demonstration.

He reads for a while and then goes to class, has lunch, attends more classes, then migrates towards the library or goes to his part time job a shop making glass products and plastics packaging. The owner doesn’t mind his odd hours, working around Carwood’s timetable as long as Carwood gives notice and keeps up the good work. There is also sympathy. The owner of the shop has lost a son to the war.

At the end of the day Carwood feels tired and he opens a beer when he gets home. 

Home.

This words and its meaning still makes stomach do a flip of excitement. After a couple of months he notices a new emotion added to the mix – content. 

He expresses this development to his mother over the phone and when she assures him that it’s how it’s supposed to be, Lipton allows himself to experience this new development. If anybody would have asked him about it during the war, Carwood would have shrugged and dismissed the thought altogether but now he wants to tell people that Boston makes him happy. Ron makes him happy.

Ron comes home late, looking tired and every now and then – frustrated. Today is one of those days and Carwood aches to help which he does the only way he can. He opens and hands him a beer while he finishes making dinner. Radio is on but Carwood doesn’t listen, setting the table instead and keeping an eye on Ron who’s sat down in the armchair, leaning forwards and emptying his beer with determination he doesn’t always have with drinking.

“Tough day?” Carwood asks when Ron puts his empty beer in the trash can and opens another.

“It has been one of those…” Ron nods and then they sit down to have dinner.

It’s quiet and they don’t talk but Carwood steals glances at Ron who cuts his steak with surgical precision and stabs it as if the steak was trying to moo and run away. Carwood puts away the dishes after they are clean and dry and wanders in the bedroom to find Ron and his book.

If there is one thing Carwood knows about Ron Speirs, is that if the man doesn’t want to talk, it’s better to leave him in peace because he always reaches out to Lipton when he is ready or when he has found the right words.

“I love you,” Lipton says, sitting down on the bed and Ron’s eyes snap up and he looks at Carwood, emotions flickering across his face.

“I had to deny what you mean to me today,” Ron says slowly. “A fellow officer struck up conversation about marriage today and I had to shake my head and talk about my ex-wife”.  
Ron’s tone is bitter and Lipton frowns. They both know that what they are to each other… is nobody’s business. They have agreed to this fully aware of the rules they have to follow and his heart is at peace with it. 

“Ron…” he says but doesn’t know what to say next.

“I wanted to tell him about you and what we are to each other but I didn’t,” Speirs laughs but it’s not a real laugh.

It sounds like Ron Speirs after they discovered the camp at Landsberg and Carwood suppresses a shudder.

“You know I don’t mind. It is what it is and if I can never be anything more than a war buddy to you… I have made my peace with that. Ron…” Carwood entwines their fingers and scoots closer.

“One day,” Speirs says and there is determination in his voice. “I am going to marry you Carwood Lipton”

For both of them, home isn't just a place. 

It is a person.


End file.
